The first thing that came to my mind is my health. I’m incredibly grateful that I am relatively healthy. I see my doctor every year; I go to the dentist twice a year. I don’t have any chronic conditions, with the exception of my generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

The last time I was truly sick was back in February, when I was diagnosed with the flu and a sinus infection simultaneously. Luckily, I was given Tamiflu and an antibiotic, and I was basically back to normal in four days. It was incredible.

I try really hard to stay healthy. Al and I work out at the local gym nearly five days a week – We get up at 4:15 a.m. I’m currently walking the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, but I want to get back to weight training soon.

My new FitBit that Al got me for Christmas has been very helpful in holding me accountable – I try for at least 5,000 steps per day, if not more. I also log my water intake – My goal is 75 ounces per day. It feels really good to surpass those goals!

Eating healthy/healthier has been the biggest challenge – I’m constantly looking for better, easier recipes! I’ve tried really hard to limit how junk food I eat, but that’s not easy with my stress levels sometimes! We’re trying to eat more salads at dinner, and eating out less frequently. I want to keep up the routine of meal planning and prepping on Sundays – It makes the rest of the week a lot smoother.

If you have any tried-and-true recipes that you love, I would love to hear them!

I love the warmer weather. I’m grateful that the daylight sticks around longer, and I don’t have to drive home from work in the dark!

I’ve always loved nature. In the spring, the trees and flowers come back to life! It’s a beautiful sight.

Spring brings back memories for me, too. I think of the spring breaks I had from school. As a kid, I spent most of them in Florida with my family. My dad’s parents took the whole family on a Princess Cruise during spring break and Easter when I was nine!

In college, spring was when the semester started to wind down. It usually snowed right before spring break, but then the temperatures rose into the 70s, sometimes the 80s. A lot of the girls broke out their bikinis and started tanning on the lawns. I’m not a huge fan of hotter weather, but feeling a cool breeze as I left The Rotunda office or the library at night was amazing!

Easter is one of my favorite church celebrations. The sanctuary is adorned with gorgeous flowers, the hymns are beautiful, and butterflies are released after the service to signify Jesus coming back to life.

It’s a time of more sunshine, warmth, transition, and feeling happier!